Monthly Archives: March 2008

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“Gypsy” starring Patti LuPone opened on Broadway this week and most critics agree that the great LuPone triumphs in a major way. I saw Patti on Broadway in “Master Class,” in her one woman show “Patti LuPone on Broadway” and own the soundtrack to her “Sunset Boulevard” on the London stage, a show from which she was cruelly dumped before Broadway in favor of Glenn Close. But “Gypsy” is the show I’ve always wanted to see her in and hope to make it to New York later this year to do just that!

Here are some of her reviews:

New York Times: Watch out, New York. Patti LuPone has found her focus. And when Ms. LuPone is truly focused, she’s a laser, she incinerates. Especially when she’s playing someone as dangerously obsessed as Momma Rose in the wallop-packing revival of the musical “Gypsy,” which opened on Thursday night at the St. James Theater…When Ms. LuPone delivers “Rose’s Turn,” she’s building a bridge for an audience to walk right into one woman’s nervous breakdown. There is no separation at all between song and character, which is what happens in those uncommon moments when musicals reach upward to achieve their ideal reasons to be. .

Los Angeles Times: This is not the brassy tour de force that we can reconstruct from the cast recording of Ethel Merman’s patented original. And one shouldn’t expect Angela Lansbury’s tragicomic finesse, Tyne Daly’s working-class realism or Bernadette Peters’ sex-kittenish wiles, to cite the other previous Broadway Roses. … What distinguishes LuPone’s accomplishment is the fiery fusion of music and drama that she pulls off with seemingly spontaneous expressiveness. Speech slides into song as naturally as water returns to air, and the ensuing rainbow of vocal color is like the proof of some rarely observed scientific law.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Patti LuPone is a star reborn. Her potrayal of the legendarily pushy Momma Rose in Gypsy, which opened Thursday in an extraordinary Broadway revival, is a stellar achievement in a career of achievements on stage and TV, in movies and concert halls. …She unleashes “Rose’s Turn,” the take-no-prisoners finale, with a fury that leaves her shaking. If there were a Tony Award for Most Menacing Diva, LuPone would get it. As it is, she’ll probably have to settle for Best Actress in a Musical.

Newsday has compiled a list of the actresses who has played Mama Rose on stage and screen:Ethel Merman, Broadway: (1959) Brassy belter was the first and, many still say, best Mama Rose.Rosalind Russell, Film: (1962) Russell took a hit from critics upset that Merman hadn’t been allowed to re-create the role.Angela Lansbury, Broadway: (1974) One of two Roses to win a Tony. (Lansbury is pictured at this week’s opening night of “Gypsy.”Tyne Daly, Broadway: (1989) The other Tony winner.Bette Midler, TV: (1993) Campy, but well-received “Gypsy” packed in all the Jerome Robbins choreography.Bernadette Peters, Broadway: (2003) Kewpie-doll actress was the most controversial “Rose,” in the only Broadway “Gypsy” not directed by Arthur Laurents.

All Martina Navratilova wanted was to get duel citizenship so she could travel easily between the United States – where she defected to 33 years ago – and the Czech Republic where she was born.

But this led to a flood of erroneous stories published in recent weeks that the nine-time Wimbledon champion was leaving the U.S. in disgust over the policies of the Bush administration.

“Somehow, out came these reports that I was going to denounce my citizenship,” Martina told me this week. “I never said those things and I don’t know how it got to that point. Next thing I know, I read that I’m leaving America. It’s just astonishing and insulting.”

The 51-year-old athlete, who retired from pro tennis after winning the mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open in 2006, has been a U.S. citizen since 1981. Martina fled the then-communist Czechoslovakia in 1975 in a highly-publicized defection that was of great risk to her at the time. She was just 18 and didn’t know if she’d ever see her family again.

That’s why the false stories have cut so deep.

“This goes to the core of who I am and why I’m here,” she said. “I’m very loyal and very grateful. This is my home and l’ve lived her for over 30 years. To have this kind of stuff said is really hurtful and disappointing. I’d like to get to the bottom of it.”

“Millions of Americans have duel citizenship and I get roasted for it,” Martina added. “I don’t think anything less of America. But I’m proud of where I came from. When it was communist I wasn’t proud of the government. Now it’s a good place to be. There’s nothing to be embarassed about.”

The reasons for obtaining duel citizenship were actually quite simple: “It was practical because I travel a lot and I’m doing some business in the Czech Republic and have been on a monthly basis for a few years and my mom was sick.”

Martina has long been something of a lightening rod for criticism because of her unfailingly outspoken nature. I reminded her of the time she was critical of the Bush administration while being interviewed by Connie Chung on CNN several years back. Chung shockingly wondered aloud why Martina just didn’t go back to the Czech Republic if she didn’t like the way things were in the U.S.

Martina now says of the incident: “I wondered, so if (Connie Chung) didn’t agree with something she should go back to China? I thought the whole point of democracy is to be able to disagree with the govenment. That’s the beauty of America.”

As a major tennis fan, I’ve followed Martina’s career for many years and she has always come across as incredibly partriotic, proudly played for the U.S. in the Fed Cup international team competition (the picture above is from the 1986 Fed Cup when the U.S., led by Martina and Chris Evert, defeated Czechoslovakia in Prague) as well as in the Olympic Games. But there is one moment from her career that I will never forget: she had just lost to Monica Seles in the finals of the 1991 U.S. Open and the crowd gave her one of the most rapturous ovations that I can ever remember.

Martina tearfully made some remarks then wrapped up her speech by saying: “I’m so damned proud to be an American.”

Got a note yesterday from Casper Andreas, who I met last summer at “Outfest.” He gave me some details about the opening today of his film “A Four Letter Word” which won the screenwriting award at the film festival. Casper wrote and directed the movie which is a real treat – sexy and entertaining and funny – and features Charlie David in a role far different from Tobey on “Dante’s Cove.” Star Jesse Archer co-wrote the script with Casper.

“It is getting more and more difficult to open independent films in theaters,” Casper writes. “This is especially true for gay themed films. Our level of success in New York this weekend will determine how many additional cities we will be able to open in.”

“Project Runway” winner Christian Siriano paid a visit to Craig Ferguson Thursday and he announced that replacing his catch phrase “fierce” has been replaced with “expired.” I dunno, how many catch phrases can you have during your 15 minutes of fame?

Maude as Carrie Bradshaw! The rest of the girls are played by Charlotte Rea, Sally Struthers and Katherine Helmond. This gem was found on A Socialite’s Life! I guess Rue McClanahan and Betty White weren’t available. Rue is a natural for Samantha and Betty was born to play Charlotte…

If you want to see a superb movie this weekend, go see “Shelter.” I’ve seen it about a dozen times since I was given a screener of it last summer and it gets better with each viewing and my admiration for the work of stars Trevor Wright and Brad Rowe and director-writer Jonah Markowitz.

While this has been labeled as “a gay surfing flick,” surfing is really just a sexy backdrop for the story of Zach (Wright), a young man working a dead-end job and helping his needy sister care for her young son. When Zach becomes involved with the older brother of his best friend (Rowe), the relationship calls into question all of his assumptions about family, self-identity and the future.

I spoke with Jonah recently about his much buzzed-about directorial debut which debuts today (March 28) in LA at Sunset 5 and in 12 markets total: New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, San Diego, Palm Springs, Minneapolis, Portland and Ft. Lauderdale.

“I just can’t wait to get it out and have the public see it outside the festival circuit,” Jonah said. “It’s just getting to see it in that environment, it will be kinda great to see how it does.”

Jonah is confident that he has made a film that will move people: “It was always the goal to really make this movie about people and about their struggles. People who have seen it really love it, regardless if they are straight or gay.It’s a question of getting them into the theater. I think it will be a word of mouth thing. It’s a story that lots of different kind of people can relate to.”

The surfing backdrop allowed for a lot of beach scenes: “That was part of making a gay film that we hoped would be different, making as film where they fell in love outside – not in a bar, nightclub or locker room. Outdoors and being active, breaking the mold of what we usually see.”

In the end, Jonah hopes the movie entertains but also sends this message: “If you have love, you can create family. We’ve got the families we were born with and the families we create. They are just as valid, The movie’s about these guys whio create a family together.”

On the casting of Brad Rowe, already known to gay audiences from being the object of Sean Hays’ obsession in “Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss” a decade ago: “It had nothing to do with ‘Billy’s.’ He was really the right gfuy for the part, he understood where the character was at and he got along well with Trevor. I thought he could bring something real and beautiful to it. He understood the character was at a different point in his life than Trevor was.”

On Trevor Wright’s and Brad’s love scenes: “Trevor is really talented. He and Brad and I kept it real loose, The initmate scenes, I asked if they knew what it was like to spend a day with somebody you love and what does that feel like to you? They are both straight and they were able to go off on that. I made a mixed tape for them and we just scheduled it: we had the first kiss, the fooling around then real full on.”

“Shelter” marks the first project to be produced by here! Networks’ Independent Film Initiative and here! films presented the premier party last night at Eleven Nightclub in West Hollywood and on Sunday, here! films and N2N present The Shelter Sunset Soiree from 4-10 p.m. poolside at The Standard Hotel, West Hollywood. If you see “Shelter” opening weekend at Sunset 5, don’t forget to bring your ticket stub for free admission to the soiree. For more info, go to www.thesmokingcocktail.com

Just got off a conference call interview with Chikezie Eze who got booted from “American Idol” last night – unfairly in my opinion. I don’t think the judges did him any favors this week, ripping him apart for what was actually a solid performance of “If Only for One Night” during a week where there were some truly dreadful outings by his fellow contestants.

“I knew I’d be in the bottom three and I knew I’d being going home,” he said. “I was fine that it was at a point where I’d still be able to come back and do the tour.”

The singer had said on Tuesday’s show that he had avoided doing ballads after an earlier attempt got panned. But he decided to follow his heart on the Luther Vandross song which the judges – epsecially sour Simon Cowell – predictably panned.

“I didnt care – honestly,” Chikezie told me. “I already knew that Simon wasn’t going to feel it no matter what. I knew when I picked the song…I did the song anyway. I had to do what I felt was right.”
He added that knowing Simon would hate it “took a lot of the pressure off. Now I’m just performing for the sake of performing.”

Chikezie didn’t seem overly upset over being voted off because since he is in the top 10, he will be a part of the “American Idol” concert tour around the country this summer: “I tend to be pretty happy because I just feel so blessed to be in this position, to have this opportunity. Last night I was glad that none of the other guys had to go home. That’s probably the hardest part of the show, saying goodbye to your friends….It becomes a family. We basically just formed these bonds where we’re helping each other out. We created this amazing support system.”

Looking ahead, Chikezie said “I’d like to see myself getting at least one Grammy. I really want to get started with my music career, making records that make me feel good and make other people feel good….I’d like to see what I can do, to see what my boundaries are.”